Bicycle attachment.



No, 648,457. Patented May I, I900.

W. M. FLINN. BICYCLE ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed Aug. 31, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Wit 92,5525

m: mmais PETERS 0a.. fiunnrmc wAsnmu'ruu. u. c.

no. 648,457. Patenfd May J, I900.

w. m. mun. BICYCLE ATTACHMENT.

(Applicationflled Aug. 31, 1897.) v (No Model.) 2 Sheats$heet 2.

"m: NORRIS F NITED STA-TEST PATIENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. FLINN, OF WEATHERFORD, TEXAS.

BICYCLE'ATTACH MENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,457, dated May I, 1900.

Application filed August 31, 1897. Serial No. 650,189. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may'oorwern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. FLINN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Weatherford, in-the county of Parkerand State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Bicycle Attachment, of which the following is. a specification. r

My invention relates to improvements in bicycle attachments; and one. object that I have in view is to provide an attachment which may be used as a support for the bicycle and as a carrier or support for a child, a package, a satchel, (be.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved attachment which may be readily applied to any ordinary style of bicycle and which is so constructed as to hold itself rigidly or steadily in place on the steering-head of the bicycle when the attachment.

is turned to its upright position to serve as a luggage-carrier or as a childs support.

With these ends nview the invention consists in a support adapted for attachment to' tion, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bicycle, showing my support applied thereto and engaging with the steering-head of the machine to serve as a childs support or a luggage-carnor. with the support adjusted in its lowered position for the purpose of holding the bicycle steadily in place. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the support detached from the bicycle. Fig. 4 is a plan view'of the support, showingthe seat thereof and illustrating by dotted lines the-position of the bicycle steering-head within the loop or clip of the support. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the support on Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a bicycle theplane indicated by the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 4.. I

Like numerals of reference denote corre sponding parts in all the figures of the draw- Ings.

My improved support consists of a seatholding frame 1, a pair of arms or bars 2 3, united rigidly to the seat-holding frame and extending therefrom substantially at right angles to the planeof said frame, a seat 4, attached to and Within the seat-holding frame, and stays or braces 5, having their. respective ends fastenedto the seat-holdin g frame-and to the arms or bars.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the seat-holding frame is made from a single bar or rod bent to the peculiar form shown by Fig. 4E of the drawings. This bar or rod is first bent at its middle to form the curved loop or clip 6, after which the bar is bent into the curved form indicated by the numeral 7, and the ends of the bar are curved outwardly away from each other to provide the guards or arms 8. The seat 4 is a single piece of suitable material, preferably leather, which is stamped or cut to conform to the shape of the frame 1,- within which,the seat is placed. The seat is united to the frame 1 by the lacing-cord 9,which is threaded through eyelets provided near the marginal edge ofthe seat and passed around the curved parts of the seat-frame 1; but this method of holding the seat within the seat-frame is not material and may be varied or changed as deemed expedient by the manufacturer or a skilled mechanic.

The arms or bars 2 are joined with the seatframe 1 near the points Where the outwardlyextending arms 8 diverge from each other.

tachment may be applied to thebicycle in any suitable way. For example, the free ends of the arms orbars may be provided with eyes -10 to receive the ends of the front axleof a j bicycle; but it will be understood at. 011.55

. may be fastened to the front fork of the bicy:

-cle and provided with suitablepintle's, on

which the arms of the attach'mentrmay;be...

oosely fitted;

to mutually brace andstre frame and the arms or bars.v

' I l 5 When thedevice is to be used as a supportfor a jchild, I preferto provide thefoot rests 11 12, one jof' which is'attached to each arm I -01: bar of the support. Each foot-rest is pref- *erablyc'omposed of; a single pieceof metal,

1 1 f which isdoubled juponitself" and. has its in- I 1- "ner endscurvedtoform;jaw's;l3, said'restprm' vided' with transverse apertures lta-t points adjacent to; the jaws 13.1. The foot rests are I applied to the arms or bars of the supportin 2 5 ta manner to have the'jaws 13 of said rests embrace the arm's .or bars, and clamping-bolts 15 are then passed through the-aperturesl'et,

so "as to compress the jaws upon the arms 'or bars 23, and thus clamp the foot-rests firmly wise.

provides -a' secure means for holding'the bicycle steadily in place,because the seat-frame and its outwardly bowed or curved arms 8 furnish a broad surface for the support to v y I I rest upon the ground, which overcomes any Thebraces orstays 5.are each united tothe seat-carrying'frame'l and to one of thearms .or bars 2 or 3'as,' for instance, by welding. the-parts together. 1 These stays diverge from I [O the'p'oints of attachment to the bars or arms to the points where they are joined to the seati supporting frame, andithe stays thus serve ngthen .the-seattendency of the bicycle to tilt or cant side- To use the'device as a'c'arrierfor baggage orluggage, the bicycle is raised slightly and .the support is turned on its pivots to the upright; position shown by Fig. 1 ofthe drawin'gslj During this, adjustmentof the supportythe looporlclip of theseat-frame-is pre- "sented opposite to "the steering-head of the bicycle, and the support'is now pressed toward the steering-head in order to spread or force open the-loopor clip sufficiently for the steering-head of the bicycle to enter therein. This loop or cl ip is'elastic' to a su'flici'ent .extent to permit the steering head to slipinto said loop, and the elasticity of the loopcauses it to embrace the steering-headjfor the purpose "of holding theT 's'u'pport steadily in its .i-a'ised position; This con's'truction jof the seat-frame forming part of thesupportis one of the important features'of my invention,

because the loop-or 'clip' provide's" a" means for detachablyattaching the support to-the steerin g head and holding it; securely in place I r 0' and sol dly to the parallel bars of the support.

" The foot-restse'xtend laterallyfrom opposite ot-"loop 6 to have firm frictional engagement with the steering-head, a child is seated on '5 the'support for its feet to rest on the foot-- rests and the guards or arms 8 to fit against -the limbs at' ornear the thighs, afterjwhich th'e strap 16 is passed around the body and attachedtothe handle-bar. I

' securely on the seat against falling off acci- I dentally-by the guards or arms 8 strap. I I I In applying my support to a'bicycle; the

n parallel arms 2' 3 are arranged 'on opposite" sides of the front bicycle-wheel, and the free ends of said arms are pivotally connected to the front axleor to the frontsteeringefork in the manner hereinbefore described.

or above the same. I I I I When the support'is'lowered,the seat-frame thereof rests upon the ground below the wheel, and the bicycle is raised slightly above {the fiooror ground, as shown by Fig. 2of'the.

drawings. This adjustment ofthe support 7 The child is held and the The support is, thus arranged to straddle the front" 6owhjeel, and it may be adjusted on its pivots "to oc'cupya position either belowl'thewheel therein when ra1se,d, th us dlspens ngw th ex- I I 'f'traneou's' fastening means.

1 sides'of the parallel arms of. the support, and

In the practical construction offtheseat frame of my invention andfin applying the seat to theseat frame I prefer to-arrange the seat about midway between the. bar or in central relation thereto. Thecentral arrangement of theseat with "relation tothe seat-frame isfor the purpose of holdingthe seatlin position, so that it will'not come in contact with the floor or ground when the device is inverted to serve as a support for'the bicycle or machine. I i l7 In using the attachment as af'support for a child I prefer to employa strap, (indicated at 16,) which is passed around the body of the child and under its arms, theends' of the strap being fastened to the handle-bar of the ibicyclez The employment of this' strap pre= [vents the child from falling OE the support and adds to the steadiness of the machine.

t I am awareythat changes in the formand proportion of partsfand in the details of con- -struction ofthe device herein shown and described as the preferred embodiment of my invention-may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the'spiritor sacrificing theadvantages of the invention; I there- "-fore'reserve the right to make such modifications and alterationsas-clearly fallwithin the scope of the invention.

The attachment is simple and durablein construction, easily applied to any. ordinary style of safety.-bicycle, andit is cheap of manufactures.

Having thus d escribedthe invention, what is claimedas new is- 1. as anew article of manufacture, a'hicycle stand and carrier comprising a horizontal frame-bar, 1, which is bent at its rear side into the elastic clasp or loop, 6, and the arms arranged substantially at right angles to the frame-bar and joined rigidly to said framebar at points on opposite sides of the clasp or loop, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a bicycle stand and carrier comprising a bent frame-bar, 1, provided at its rear side with an inwardly-curved elastic clasp or loop, 6,which lies within the line of said frame-bar, a seat situated within the frame-bar in central relation thereto and united to the same, and the trussed arms joined rigidly to the framebar at points on opposite sides of the clasp or loop thereof, substantially as'described.

3. A bicycle support and carrier comprising a horizontal frame-bar provided with the outwardly-extended guards'or arms 8, the depending arms attached to said frame-bar and provided with foot-rests, and means for atplatform and is capable of engaging auto-' matically with the steering-head, whereby the support may be clamped to the steeringhead when it is elevated without manipulating fastening devices therefor, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as .myown I have hereto atfixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM vM. FLINN. Witnesses: O. C. LITTLETON,

H. L. BREVARD. 

